


Overheard

by Hyx_Sydin



Series: The Secret Chamber of John & Rodney [10]
Category: Stargate Atlantis
Genre: F/M, M/M, Post-Series
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-08-12
Updated: 2014-08-18
Packaged: 2018-02-12 20:52:30
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 1,662
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2124354
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Hyx_Sydin/pseuds/Hyx_Sydin
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Jennifer overhears something she wishes she hadn't.</p><p> </p><p>This can be read as a standalone!</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

  * For [marcus_aquila](https://archiveofourown.org/users/marcus_aquila/gifts).



> I hope this is what you were looking for...
> 
>  
> 
> For a long time I was stuck on how to write this, but what John says to Rodney at the end of chapter 4 in 'Say it!' was just the inspiration I needed ^_^

Jennifer reaches the still open door to hear the end of a question, “. . . doing here Rodney?” _Was that John? What was he doing down here?_

“I was looking for you,” she heard Rodney reply, from closer to her than the Colonel; “. . . you left early.”

Deciding to listen in on the conversation despite it being a bad thing to do – Rodney was her fiancé and something was bothering him; she had suspected that maybe he and John had argued and perhaps if she knew what the problem was, she’d be able to help Rodney – so she leaned against the wall next to the door. 

“And it didn’t occur to you that I left early for a reason?” Jennifer was taken aback by the irritation in John’s voice, “I guess you really can’t take a hint.”

There was a long pause, and she was tempted to peek into the room to see if anything was happening; not that she could hear anything happening, when Rodney sighed, “John -”

“Save it McKay,” John interrupted abruptly, causing Rodney to inhale sharply, “no goodbyes remember?”

“I just don’t understand why you’re so angry!” Rodney said plaintively, she heard footsteps then and wondered if he had moved further into the room.

John scoffed before responding angrily “Of course you don’t! Because you know nothing about my feelings,” When he spoke again he sounded closer; Jennifer really wanted to look now, curious as to what was happening in the room that she couldn’t see. “Did you honestly believe that after everything we’ve been through, after all the nights we spent together in this room, that we are just friends?”

Jennifer gasped, bringing her hand up quickly to cover her mouth and hoped neither of them heard her. _John could not have meant that the way it sounded . . . could he?_

Rodney spoke then, his voice wavering, “John, please don’t make this any more difficult-”

“Difficult? To you I’m nothing more than a fuck buddy; all the benefits of being in a relationship but without the emotional bullshit. Nothing difficult there,” Jennifer squeezed her eyes shut at the pain in John’s voice, “except there was a shit ton of emotional bullshit Rodney. And somewhere along the line I fell in love with you!”

“No no no no no,” Rodney said, and from the sound of it he was backing out of the room. Looking around Jennifer spied a nook and quickly moved into it, peeking out to see the doorway and only seeing Rodney’s back as he paused a few steps into the room. ”You’re mistaken; people like you don’t fall in love with people like me. Somehow you’ve mixed up wanting to have really great sex with loving me,” Rodney continued as he shook his head.

“You know nothing about how I feel Rodney,” John growled. “And if you understood your own feelings you’d acknowledge that a part of you loves me too!” 

Rodney was shaking his head again, stammering something she could not make out.

“Then you look me in the eye Rodney, look me in the eye and tell me you don’t love me,” John snarled, grabbing Rodney by the shoulders. “And then you take Jennifer and you get the hell off my city!”

Rodney spluttered, taking a step back and pushing at John, “You’re city?!? She belongs to each and every one of us-“

“Not to you Rodney, not anymore; you gave up that right when you decided to stay here on Earth.” John stepped close to Rodney again, “Just say it and then leave!”

After a long pause where John stared down at Rodney, who stared straight ahead at John’s chest, Rodney’s shoulders fell and he whispered out a defeated, “I can’t…” Jennifer’s eyes widened in surprise as her breath caught in her chest. “I can’t say it but that doesn’t change anything; I’m still going to stay,” he looked up at John then, and Jennifer wished she could see the Colonel’s expression.

After a pause, John came striding out of the room and headed down the passage away from her. Rodney came rushing out calling John’s name, causing the other man to pause and look over his shoulder. Rodney struggled to say something but all Jennifer could see was the absolutely miserable look in John’s eyes. When Rodney still did not say anything, the Colonel turned on his heel and strode off once again, leaving behind a defeated looking Rodney who turned and walked slowly back into the room.

Left with her thoughts, Jennifer rested against the wall behind her and stared up at the ceiling. Did Rodney love her more than John? Or was she his last chance at the life he’d always wanted?


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Between this and chapter 7 of ‘Woe’, I am now tired of Jennifer and trying to fix the mess that TPTB have left us with!
> 
> Hope this is a suitable ending to this fic!
> 
> (I didn't reread it because there are so many words and I already read it twice and that should be good enough... sorry about any mistakes.)

As she was stood in the doorway, Jennifer’s resolve waivered because of the sight which greeted her; Rodney sat beside a wall as if he had leaned against it when he could stand no more, and then slowly sank down to the ground. But if she wanted answers she knew she had to be straightforward with him, so taking a deep breath she walked into the room as she spoke, “This past week, when you left in the midst of working, is this where you came?”

Rodney’s head jerked up and she watched as his eyes widened as he saw her, “Jennifer?”

“Yes Rodney, you left our going away dinner before Richard could do his speech; I wanted to know why so I followed you.”

Rodney scrambled to his feet at her words, panic in his movements before he consciously made himself appear calm enough to ask, “You followed me?”

“Yes, and overheard an interesting conversation.”

“You heard?” he said sadly as he brought a hand up to cover his eyes, “with John?”

“Yes,” she said on a sigh. She wasn’t angry, which surprised her, she wasn’t sure what exactly she felt but she did know that she wanted the truth. “I . . . what is this room Rodney?”

Rodney dropped his hand but didn’t look at her; his lips were pressed together as he shook his head, “Please don’t ask me that.”

“Then explain everything to me, because I’m pretty sure I heard Lieutenant Colonel John Sheppard tell you that he loves you!” Rodney flinched at her words but did not answer, deciding to change the subject she asked instead, “Why are you staying on Earth?”

“For you,” his brows were furrowed as he looked at her, “you’re staying to look after your father and I want to be with you; so I’m staying. I do love you Jennifer.”

“And John? Do you love him?”

Rodney looked away again as he spoke in a strangled voice, “Jennifer…”

He didn’t say anything else and she let the silence linger before repeating her earlier question, “Last week when you were still fixing things around the city, did you come here when you suddenly disappeared?”

His head came up, “How did you-,” he stopped himself when he noticed her narrowing her eyes before answering her question, “Yes...” 

“Why?” When he doesn’t answer, she pressed him, “If what happened here meant nothing to you, why would you linger here?” Rodney continued staring at the ground, his lips pressed together tightly. “Did you cheat on me Rodney?”

“No!” he exclaimed, looking at her stunned as he took a step towards her, “I stopped things with John when we got serious.”

“Stopped, not ended,” she pointed out.

Rodney’s mouth twisted, “It’s not like we were dating.”

“How long then? How long were the two of you ‘not dating’?” she wanted to know but he once again dropped his gaze to the ground and did not answer. Anger flashed through her as she demanded, “Answer me Rodney!”

He mumbled an answer but she could still make it out, “It started a few weeks after we first arrived in Atlantis…”

She stared at him in shock, “Almost five whole years!” Curious now that she knew how long it had lasted, she found she had to ask, “Was it just . . . about sex between you?”

“No,” he said quietly and nothing else, Jennifer cleared her throat causing him to glance at her and see the look she was giving him. “Most of the time it was just about the uhh…”

“Sex,” she says matter-of-factly. 

With a pained look he continues, “Yes . . . sometimes we talked . . . or he’d hold me. On the rare occasion I held him . . . sometimes we just spent the night together . . . to not sleep alone.”

“Oh my god Rodney,” Jennifer breathes out as she turns away, a hand at her mouth. “You might not have been dating him but you and John were definitely together. All that time you were there for each other . . . and you make as if it was nothing!”

Rodney is suddenly there in front of her, taking her hand in his, “Jennifer, even if I do love John, I’m choosing you! I want to be with you!”

“No,” she says emphatically before he can continue, shaking her head. “You’re just afraid! Afraid of being in love with John. Afraid of loving him more than me. Afraid of giving an actual relationship with him a chance. Afraid of losing your one chance at a wife and kids . . . whatever it is Rodney I can’t-,” as she speaks she pulls her hand out of his and backs away from him.

“No. No!” Rodney tries to take her hand again but she keeps away from him, “I love you Jennifer, I do! And I want to be with you. We can build a good life together.”

“Stop! I don’t want you to stay on Earth because of me,” she wipes her suddenly wet cheeks dry. “If you stay it must be because it’s what you want; I want you to figure out what it is that you want . . . I think you already know Rodney, you’re just too afraid to acknowledge it.” Jennifer steps up to him and places a kiss on his cheek, smiling weakly before leaving the room and Atlantis.

**Author's Note:**

> I have no beta so errors are my own.
> 
> Feel free to leave comments! <3


End file.
